"It's a very calming and beautiful experience. I could feel my mind stop racing and just embrace the moment. Very beautiful." - 2023 Ravenhill Chapel event participant
The Jefferson Center of Immersive Arts for Health
Research
Ravenhill Chapel Project
An Immersive Deep Dive into Calm 2023-2024
A collaboration between design and science across Jefferson Kanbar College's School of Design and Engineering and Sidney Kimmel Medical College.
In a 2023 study at Jefferson, students created an immersive art experience in the campus chapel to calm fellow students and neurodiverse individuals. Based on research on healing imagery, different nature themes were used for the video content to fill the chapel with projection mapping. A soundtrack was designed to create a more multi-sensory experience.
The JCIAH research team used the PANAS scale and open-ended questions to determine how the experience was perceived and whether it changed people’s emotional state. The research methods were IRB-approved before the event. Participants took pre-exposure surveys before entering the immersive experience and were invited to continue by completing post-exposure surveys using QR code links after leaving the event.’
Initially, the data was applied to a two-tailed t-test, which did not establish directionality but confirmed a statistically significant change in individuals’ reported feelings on 23/28 of measured metrics. For example:
We then applied Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests for data analysis to measure changes in mood and emotion before and after the experience.
The study's data indicated a significant increase in nine positive emotions: wonder, inspiration, rejuvenation, calm, etc. Additionally, there was a substantial decrease in twelve negative emotions: distress, guilt, fear, nervousness, etc.
The most significant positive shift was feeling a sense of wonder after the experience. Earlier research on how a sense of wonder or awe affects us has shown that this increases our feeling connected to others, which would explain the shift in connectedness the data showed in our study.
The study's results were significant in showing a direct positive impact on participants who spent time engaging in the immersive environment.
| Significant Increase | Significant Decrease |
| Wonder Connection Relaxation Enthusiasm Pride Inspiration Determination Rejuvenation Calm PANAS total |
Distress Excitement Upset Guilt Scaredness Hostility Irritability Shame Nervousness Jitteriness Fear Tiredness |
Answers to open-ended survey questions on how the participants describe their experience included:
“I needed this, and I wish it wasn’t just for three days but every week throughout the semester.”
“It’s a deeply relaxing experience. I felt the muscles in my face relax. After some time, maybe 20 minutes, I was able to meditate and reflect deeply. It felt like a prayerful experience. Thank you”
“I’d like to share my gratitude for the experience. Thank you. I hope this work may one day be part of our everyday lives. I ask that you work hard to make this available to people who need it the most.”
In Fall of 2024, we repeated the study, expanding the days the event was open and making the event open to the public. A broader exploration of imagery was used, with multiple shows of nature-based and abstract visuals. Saint Joseph’s University partnered with the Jefferson Center of Autism and Neurodiversity to collect data that will be analyzed to discern the impact on both neurotypical and neurodiverse populations. Research papers are being written on both studies.
The project will continue in 2025, expanding the opportunity to encourage and develop collaborations between researchers and arts + design practitioners.
Related Articles
WHYY
Jefferson University researchers are illuminating a chapel to research the healing power of light, by Peter Crimmins, NPR-WHYY, Nov. 2024
Jefferson News
Finding Calm in Ocean Waves and Galaxies, by Karuna Meda. March 29, 2024. The Nexus Magazine.
ASPIRE Magazine
Immersive Art for Wellbeing at Ravenhill Chapel, Jefferson Aspire Magazine, October 30, 2023.